On your next vacation, travel smarter and more earth-friendly. Just by making a few changes in your travel routine, you can have an impact on your wallet and the environment.

Fly Direct

Simply put: A plane uses more fuel during takeoff and landing, so by limiting the amount of runway time you are helping conserve fuel. While it might be cheaper to book a flight with several stops, you’ll just be wasting time and precious fuel.

Also, pack lightly. The more pounds of luggage a plane carries, the more fuel it needs to fly. So think about that when you pack that fifth pair of shoes.

Want to offset your carbon footprint? Plant a tree or donate to an organization like the Conservation Fund which works to aid reforestation (rebuilding our natural forests). Throughout a tree’s lifetime, it will absorb carbon dioxide and, in exchange, give off oxygen into our atmosphere. While we can’t completely cancel out the impact of flying, planting more trees can definitely help.